Game apparatus



Patented Oct. 25, 1938 i UNITED STATES" GAME APPARATUS Leslie M. Hansen, Chicago, Ill., assignor tolflrenco, f

Inc., Chicago, Ill., ya corporation of` Illinois v Application January 2, 193s,` serial Nq. 57,211l E 4 claims. (ci. 27a-'121) in vertical alignment vviihftlie` score pockets Aof This invention relates to game apparatuses,

and has for its principal object the novelcombination and arrangement of parts which willybe highly eicient inuse and economical in construction. v

Another object of this invention is to provide a coin operated game apparatus in which it ispossible, by the skillful operation of the same,l to obtain a free .second operation without inserting a coin into the coin slide. f n "Other objects will appear hereinafter.` I The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter` described and claimed.

preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view ofa pin and marble game embodying the present invention;

2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of severalv'of theA parts embodied in the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of an elecy are out pockets or score openings IS. y d l A slide panel I3 is slidably mounted adjacent the lower face of the play board I2 for horizontal movement in a plane parallel tothe play board I2. The slide panel I3 when in normal position forms a gate or vseat for balls which may be trapped in the pockets I6.

ings Il are adjacent the pockets I6, that is, out of vertical alignment with but on the 'same longitudinal axis as the latter." y d Mounted in the'front wall I8'of the cabinet II 4 is a conventional coin chute I4 which is engageslide panel I3 upon which it is mounted.

When a coin of proper denomination and size is placed in' the aperture 20 of the coin chute I4?,

` the `latter may bemoved from left to right v(as seen'in the drawing) into full stroke position, and

out opening I 6.

The invention will be best understood by refer-k. ence to the accompanying drawing showing the Fig. 2 is av longitudinalsection taken online trical circuit embodied in the present invention.

In the drawing, a game apparatusis generally indicated at I0 and is embodied in a 4cabinet II which contains an inclined play board iI2. uponv which. played balls are adapted to\ be projected bya"plunger"l5, and formed in the., play board I ZY There `are formed in the slide paneli3 a number of openings Il corresponding to the number of out openings I6, and these open` ablefwith an arm I9 which depends from they When balls trapped in the.: pockets I6 are' re-L leased bythe foregoing movement of the slide panel I3, li

runway 2l 'and'gravitate ,overy the latter. intok a there isa pocket orout opening23 formed inthe play board, and `disposed below this opening 23 is u.

a ball actuated switch 24 which is mounted upon the slide panel I3.y Mounted uponthe under side ey drop by gravity onto va .ballv return Referring more rparticularly to the' invention;v

,transverse runway "22 which directs therballs to of the play 'board'IZ atits upper endiright end,

Figs. 2 and`3) is a solenoid 25 which has an armature 26A that' is linked to theslide panel I4 vby ai yoke 21, for reasons to be presently described. f

A switch v3ll`ismou'nted in the cabinet I I, as at 29,v adjacent thefcoin chute I4. This switch 30 has a pair ofresiilentI larms which'fare normally disposedout of engagementwith each other. 'I'he coin chute,I I4 hasa cam edge 3 II on the side which is adjacent theswitch' 30. This cam 3| is engagen ablewith the switch 30 lso. `as to, urge the resilient4 armsv of *thefswitchvllinto engagementwith each- K other..

, v,In l conventional coin chutes there is .a free Y motionwhich islimited by pawls, latches andthe like to prevent the inner end of the c oin chute I4 from engagingV the depending` arm 'I:9,but,` however, allowing the inner endof' the coin chute- I4 to be moved from initial position '(Fig'..y 3)A vto a;

point adjacent the depending arm I9. In.r4 this light it may be seen that by thispartial movement the resilient arms of the 'switch 30 maybetbrzojught intoengagement with ach 'other'.for reasonslto be eirplained hereinafter;

A conventiona1 time switch, such'-astthelone.v

tion, and is indicated at" 32. This time switch Y 32 is mountedupon a wall within Athe cabinet -I I` and is` actuated byl an arm A33 which'vextends laterally kfrom the c oin 'chute'Y I4.

. and 1,795,969,` islembodiedfin the presentinvem The present invention embodies an electrical i' circuit 35 inwhich is arranged a ysource of` cur'- rent34 inthe formwofv'abattery'of dry cells, vthe solenoid -,25,A the ball `actuated switch 24, thercam actuated switch lili,l and the time switch 32.

- During the performance ofthe game, ,thatv is,

when` the' balls are Vprojected onto. vthe play board by the operation of the projector I5, the person operating the projector may by skillful operation of the latter cause a ball to be projected into the pocket 23, whereupon the ball will come to rest on the switch 24 and cause the resilient arms thereof to engage each other, it being understood that when a game is started by the use of a proper coin in the coin chute i4, as has already been explained, that the time switch will be'actuated for a predetermined lapse of time so as to allow a complete operation of the game apparatus.

If at the completion of a game (one operation) Va ball has been trapped in the pocket 23, the coin chute may be partiallyinserted, that is, up to a point where it is limited by means of pawls, latches, and the like, so that the cam edge 3| of the coin chute I4 will engage the resilient members of the switch 30 to urge them into engagement with each other; whereupon the circuit 35 will be opened and current will ow from the source of energy 34 through the solenoid 25, switches 24, 30 and 32, and b ack into thesource of energy 34. l

'I'he foregoing flow of currentwill cause the coil of the solenoid 25 to attract the armature 26 (left to right), Ywhereupon the slide panel'which is linkedto the'armature 28, as at 2 1, will be drawn into ball releasing position, that is, y.with

the openings IIl in vertical alignment with the score pockets i6, against theaction. ofY the resetting springs 28. All the balls, includingV the one disposed in the pocket 23, will then'drop by gravity onto the ball return runway 2l, 'and will gravitate into the transverse v directs them to a conventional `elevating .device (not shown).

When thevswitch 24 is moved with the slide panel into ball releasing position andthe ball released from the pocket 23,the switch 24 will break the circuit by its own vresiliency,.and the current in the circuit 35 will cease to flow; whereupon the solenoid will release'the` amature 26 so'that the latter and the'slide panel I3 may be returned toinormal position by the resetting springs 2B.

While I have illustrated and described'the preferred form of construction for carrying my in-` vention into effect, this is capable of `variation` departing from the v and 'modification without spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction f set forth, but desire to avail myself of such vari` ations and modifications as come within the .scope of the appendedclaims..

Having thus described my invention, what` I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:.

1. Free-play mechanism for Vuse `with game apparatus of the back and forth below ,s aid board to hold and re# lease balls played into the apertures in the board,

a coin-freed manuallyoperable controlhaving a limitedidle stroke freedom of movement and arrangedto move said baille into ball-releasing position when moved in full stroke operation, spring means normally holding said baille] in ball-retain,`

ing position, said free-play? mechanism including electro-magnetic means for moving saidbaille into operable by a ball and arrangedjnn circuit with said .electro-magnetic means and `a manuallyY operable switch positioned for operation" by saidI coin-freed control upon idle stroke movement of the same, said ball operated switch being positype having an apertured ball playing board andan apertured baiile movablek ing board provided with a ball exit opening and a shuiiie panel mounted for sliding movement be' klow the board and provided with an exit opening,

said shuilleparuil being slidable-back and forth to move said exit opening into and out of registered relation with the exit opening in said board, said free-play mechanism including spring means normally urging said shutlle panel and the exit opening thereofj out of registered relation withthe exit opening in said board, a solenoid having a plunger operably connected with said shutile panel, said solenoid being arranged in circuit With switch means mounted on said shuiile panel in a position to be operated by a ball resting in said exit vopening of the board, amanually operable control and switch means operable thereby and cooperable with said first-mentioned switch means such that said solenoid may be en-. ergized'to move said shuiiie panel and the exit opening thereof into registered relation as aforesaid byy operating `said manual control when said first-mentioned switch means is roperated by a ball as aforesaid, said manually operable control being provided with coin-released `detent means and mechanism operatively connecting the control with s'aidfshuille panel for movement of the movement of the control, together with a movable resetting means arranged to be moved by said control upon a full stroke operation of the same to release an instrumentality used'in playing the game for further play, free-play means comprising:` electrically operable means for moving 4said* resetting means, a tfirst switch `'means arranged in said game apparatus to be engaged by said instrumentalityfand a second switch means operable 4by said manual control upon idle4 stroke movement of the same to close a circuit and energize vsaid electricallyjoperablc means for the purpose aforesaid when said rst switch means is operated by said instrumentality, whereby said resetting means may be moved independently by therein.

4. lIn-a game apparatus voi" the type having a ball playing board with ball exits therein and a said manual control without de`pos it of accin shuille panel below said board and normally closing said ball exits to vretain balls in the latter, but movable Vto vopen the same to release said balls for further play, coin controlled mechanical means for moving the shuille panel as aforesaid, electrical means for moving said shuiile panel for the purpose aforesaid and arranged in a power circuit including a switch arranged to Vbe actu-.,

ated by said coincontrolled means Awithout neces--V sitating deposit of a coin in the latter, and a second supervisory switch means also arranged in said circuit and positioned in said game appa-f ball-releasing Position, switch means` ratllls to beengaged and actuated by a ball played into a particular one of said ball exitswhereby to permit movement of said shuiile panel .by-said 

